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Waris Shah
Waris Shah
	Depiction of Waris Shah, Lahore, ca.1859
Native name	وارث شاہ
Born	1722; Jandiala Sher Khan, Sheikhupura, Punjab, Mughal Empire; (present-day, Punjab, Pakistan)
Died	1799 (aged 76–77); Jandiala Sher Khan, Sheikhupura, Punjab, Mughal Empire; (present-day, Punjab, Pakistan)
Occupation	Poet
Genre	Sufi poetry
Notable works	Heer Ranjha- by Waris Shah - A Classic Book on their love story

Pir Waris Shah (Punjabi: وارث شاہ (Shahmukhi); 1722 – 1798) was an 18th-century Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet of the Chishti order, known popularly for his contribution to Punjabi literature.^[2]^[1]

He is primarily known as the author of the Heer Ranjha love poem. It's about one of the most popular tragic romances of Punjab. Traditionally, this love poem is recited in bhairavi raga and this continues to be done even today.^[3]^[4]

Background

20th century portrait painting of Waris Shah

Syed Mohammad Waris Shah was born in Jandiala Sher Khan, Punjab, present-day Pakistan, into a reputed Sayyid family and was a descendant of Sayyid Muhammad Al-Makki through his son Sayyid Badruddin.^[5] His father's name was Gulsher Shah and mother's name was Kamal Banu. Waris's parents are said to have died when he was young. Waris spent years in search of the perfect spiritual guide. Waris Shah acknowledged himself to be a disciple of an ustad from Kasur, namely Hafiz Ghulam Murtaza from whom he received his education. After completing his education, Waris moved to Malka Hans, a village twelve kilometres north of Pakpattan. Here he resided in a small room (or Hujra), adjacent to a historic mosque now called Masjid Waris Shah, until his death.^[1]

Waris Shah was also an eyewitness to the first Invasion of India by the Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Abdali.^[6] He witnessed the Battle of Lahore between the Afghan forces and the Mughal forces under Shah Nawaz which resulted in Lahore coming under the Afghans during January 1748.^[6] Waris Shah condemned Shah Nawaz's actions during the battle and even referred to him as a coward.^[6] Other poets later added their own verses in Qissa Waris Shah throughout the history. It is estimated that there are 11069 forged ^[7] verses in the commonly available Qissa Waris Shah. One of the oldest and most accurate copy of Qissa Waris Shah published by Kripa Ram ^[8] in 1916 is available in the Punjab Public Library in Lahore.

Works

Examples

Many verses of Waris Shah are widely used in Punjab in a moral context, for instance:^[9]

Naa adataan jaandiyan ne, Bhavein katiye poriyan poriyan ji

نہ عادتاں جاندیاں نے، بھاویں کٹئے پوریاں پوریاں جے

(A man never abandons his habits, even if he is hacked to pieces)

Waris rann, faqir, talwar, ghora; Chare thok eh kisse de yar nahin (Waris says that woman, beggar, sword and horse, these four are never anyone's friends)
Waris Shah faqir di aqal kithe; eh pattian ishq padhiyan hun

وارث شاہ فقیر دی عقل کتھے، ایہ پٹیاں عشق پڑھیاں ھن

(It is beyond the wisdom of faqeer Waris Shah (to write this verse), (But) these lessons are taught by Love)

Eh rooh qalboot da zikr sara nal aqal de mel bulaya ee (This entire reference is about Soul meeting with the Divine, Beloved which has been contrived with great wisdom)

Tomb

The tomb or mausoleum of Waris Shah is near Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan in Jandiala Sher Khan town. His urs (death anniversary) is held and celebrated there every year.^[4]

Legacy

The renowned Punjabi writer and poet Amrita Pritam is best remembered for her famous work Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu (lit: "Today I Invoke Waris Shah") about the horrors of the partition of the Punjab during the Partition of India.^[10]

Ajj Akan Waris shah nu, k tu Qabran vichon bol

اج آکھاں وارث شاہ نوں، کتھوں قبراں وچوں بول

(Today, I call upon Waris Shah, to rise from the grave and speak)

Te Ajj kitaab e ishq da, koi Agla warka khol

تے اج کتابِ عشق دا کوئی اگلا ورقہ پَھول

(And plead with him to open another page in the book of love)

Portrayal in media

Waris Shah's life has been fictionalised in Punjabi-language films. A 1964 Pakistani film titled Waris Shah featured Inayat Hussain Bhatti in the title role. Another film on the life of Shah, Sayyed Waris Shah, was released in India in 1980; followed by Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris in 2006 which had Gurdas Maan in the role of Waris Shah.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Waris Shah - eBook in Shahmukhi Punjabi language". Academy of the Punjab in North America website. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^ Arif Jamshaid. "The epic of Heer Ranjha". Academy of the Punjab in North America (APNA). Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^ Chopra, R M (1999). Great Sufi Poets of the Punjab. Calcutta: Iran Society.
^ ^a ^b Sarwat Ali (1 October 2023). "Cultural legacy (Waris Shah's death anniversary event held)". The News International newspaper. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^ Naqvi, Sayyid Maqsood, ed. (1991). Riaz Al-Ansab. Izhar Sons Printer. p. 684.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gupta, Hari (1944). Studies In Later Mughal History Of The Punjab 1707 To 1793. Lahore: The Minerva Book Shop. pp. 162–163.
^ Forgery Forgery in Heer Waris Shah
^ Where is actual copy of Heer Waris Shah
^ From the book Heer Waris Shah (Chatur Singh Jeevan Singh) in Gurmukhi Punjabi language
^ Jalal, Ayesha (4 January 2002). Self and Sovereignty: Individual and Community in South Asian Islam Since 1850. Routledge. p. 562. ISBN 978-1-134-59938-7.
^ 2006 film Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris on IMDb website